Wednesday, 15 December 2010

Arnold Schwarzenegger speech

1. Comment on the use of repetition in the speech. Does Schwarzenegger have any favorite words/phrases? What is the significance?

2. How does he make use of rhetorical persuasion tools (ethos, pathos, logos)

3. How does he describe the American Dream?

4. What do you like/dislike about the speech?

5. Why do you think the speech has such a great impact on the audience(you may want to take a look at the speech on youtube and see the spectacular greeting he receives)

6. Compare the speech to the Creveceour text and consider the question: "What is an American?" (If you promise to stay on the narrow path of neutrality and objectivity, you may bring in your own opinion)

7 comments:

  1. 1. Comment on the use of repetition in the speech. Does Schwarzenegger have any favorite words/phrases? What is the significance?
    My fellow Americans, We are one America, I owe it all to America, It’s the American dream… Every time he finished up a sentence he ends it with something about how great America is.
    He is actually doing the same thing that Martin Luther King did in his speech by repeating himself, just instead of saying I have a dream he says If you believe…

    2. How does he make use of rhetorical persuasion tools (ethos, pathos, logos)
    Arnold Schwarzenegger makes use of Pathos in his speech.
    Pathos feelings. He awakes an emotional descent and a community among the American people. “My fellow Americans”… he is talking like they are all one people, and they shall stick together.

    3. How does he describe the American Dream?
    He describes the American dream like this: To think that a scrawny boy from Australia could grow up to become Governor of the state of California and then stand in Madison Square Garden and speak on behalf of the President of the United States. That is an immigrant’s dream! It’s the American dream.

    4. What do you like/dislike about the speech?
    I like that it is easy to read and understand. He is a bit too happy about America and mentions it a little bit too much, else I think that is it an okay speech. I think he is doing the best he can. 

    5. Why do you think the speech has such a great impact on the audience (you may want to take a look at the speech on youtube and see the spectacular greeting he receives)
    Maybe the speech has such great impact on the American people because they can relate to him. He came from nothing and now America has given him the opportunity to become anything he would like to be. He makes America seems like a country where everybody has a chance of doing what they want to.

    6. Compare the speech to the Creveceour text and consider the question: "What is an American?" (If you promise to stay on the narrow path of neutrality and objectivity, you may bring in your own opinion)
    An American is a person who is free, acts upon principles and can do whatever he likes to do.

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  2. 1) He uses the word "Believe" alot. He wants people to believe in the American dream like he does, because he has lived it himself.

    2)He uses: "We are", "You know" and "My fellow Americans". He wants to show that they stand together, and he knows the situation they are in.

    3) He describes the american dream with freedom and possiblitily for all. That you are allowed to dream big, and all is possible if you are willing to work for it.

    4) I like the speech because he brings a lot of history into it. His own, but also the political history of America. He also speeks in a language that everyone can understand he does not use that many difficult words.

    5) I think that the speech makes a great impact because almost every american can relate to the story in some way.

    6) I agree with Maria. Also because you always hear americans says "It's a free country".

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  3. Hm, is he right, then?

    Is Schwarzenegger portraying the American Dream?

    Can you come up with other immigrant experiences that do not necessarily correlate with Shcwarzenegger's image of America/Americans?

    Is it a free country?

    You may want to put it into the perspective of Martin Luther King's speech.

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  4. I do not agree with him all the way.
    He is trying to proove that he is living the american dream. Coming to america as an immigrant and then becomming a guvenor.

    I do not think that America is a free country. You cannot do everything you want. Because it has consequenses. I think that it is a free country for those people who have money.

    Alot has changed in America since the MLK speech. MLK is talking about the black people being oppressed and not being able to pursue their happiness.
    Schwarzenegger tells how America has changed and how the opportunities are now.

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  5. Schwarzenegger describes the American Dream as man’s capability to achieve anything he likes. He uses his own person as an example of the little man, who reaches the stars because of the unlimited possibilities of America. He is a very famous action hero, so of course people applaud when they see him. He talks with a lot of passion (pathos) about how America can make everybody’s dream come true, and they know he is telling the truth because he himself is the living proof (ethos and logos). This makes the crowd cheer even lauder because they want a little piece of his fortune.

    Martin

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  6. Is there a Danish equivalent to the American dream?
    If yes: What is it?
    If no: Why not?

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  7. Arnie has many favourite phrases, to name but a few, "I'll be back, hasta la vista baby, and f#*k you a#*hole!", which are repeated in many of his films.
    Only joking!!
    I agree with alot of the points discussed here. I would like to add that he starts off thanking the crowd then cracks a joke and then pokes fun at himself. This puts people at ease and make him seem more human. He repeats the start of sentances alot to emphasize what he's saying. He uses his personal experience which makes it more accessable to the public and contrasts America with Austria.
    He made it and fulfilled his dream but there are many "Americans" mainly African & Hispanic, who don't get the chance to fulfill their dreams due to prejudice. Recently a law has been introduced in Arizona, where anyone who looks Hispanic can be stopped by the police and be detained without proper reason.This certainly does not reflect" The American dream" but prejudice.

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